


Hackle

by seraphichan



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And Plot, Angst and Feels, Canonical Character Death, M/M, Minor Character Death, another continuation of the dander cat!au, i did myself the cry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-10-12 09:27:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10487592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seraphichan/pseuds/seraphichan
Summary: Hange stays quiet for a moment before asking, “Why wouldn’t you be allowed to?”They know why, theyknow. But apparently they need Levi to say it himself. He wrings his hands together, focusing on the finger that used to hold the silver band he doesn’t let himself wear anymore. His chest aches and it hurts to breathe.Levi doesn’t say his name.But Hange does.





	

**Author's Note:**

> a continuation of the cat!au that you can read [here](http://seraphichan.tumblr.com/post/156905710880/dander) and [here](http://seraphichan.tumblr.com/post/157669105145/onus) :3

“I need to talk to you.”

“How?” Hange asks without any hesitation.

“...I want a session,” Levi says.

“I’ll be right over.”

It’s probably more practical to wait until Monday, but Levi’s been wracking his brain over Eren for the past week. He’s losing sleep, and his sleep schedule is barely existent as it is anyway, so he breaks and calls Hange for a home visit Saturday afternoon, apologizing when they arrive for effectively fucking up their weekend.

“You’ve done no such thing. This is all part of the job, Levi,” Hange says, removing their jacket and hanging it on one of the hooks next to the door. “I like your new place. How was the move?”

“Fine.”

“Do you like it?”

“It’s alright...Different.”

“Good different?”

Levi really isn’t sure yet - hasn’t been there long enough to tell - so he stays quiet.

“Oh, and I see you did get a cat as I prescribed,” Hange says as Dander waltzes into the room.

As soon as she sees Hange her tail drops, her ears flatten against her head, and she rises onto her toes.

“Dander be nice.”

Dander hisses.

“She must smell Sonnie and Bean. It’s okay, pretty girl,” Hange says, crouching down on the floor and holding out her hand. “No doggies here.”

Dander hisses again, her fur standing up on end along the length of her back.

Hange tilts their head and lies down on the floor. Once they’re settled they put their hand back out towards Dander, who stalks back and forth before taking a seat a healthy distance away, eyes fixed on Hange’s hand, tail swishing.

“So,” Hange begins as if this is an entirely normal way to hold a conversation with a patient, “what did you want to talk about?”

Levi sighs and grabs the decorative pillows from his couch. He shoves one under Hange’s head and sits on the other. He isn’t getting a sore ass because Hange wants to try and make nice with his cat.

Once he settles he explains his past week to Hange. Getting Dander, meeting Eren, inviting Eren over to give him advice on Dander, Eren offering to be his friend. Just Eren, Eren, Eren.

Hange hums when Levi is done speaking, eyes darting around his ceiling as they think.

“Making a new friend is good,” they say eventually. “It means you’re one step further in the recovery process.”

“But…” Levi pauses, runs his hand through his hair. “But am I allowed to?”

Hange stays quiet for a moment before asking, “Why wouldn’t you be allowed to?”

They know why, they _know._ But apparently they need Levi to say it himself. He wrings his hands together, focusing on the finger that used to hold the silver band he doesn’t let himself wear anymore. His chest aches and it hurts to breathe.

Levi doesn’t say his name.

But Hange does.

“Farlan wouldn’t be mad at you for meeting someone new,” they say gently.

“How do you know? You can’t ask him. _He’s dead_ ,” Levi spits.

He bites his lip and closes his eyes, swallows against the lump in his throat. He takes a deep breath in and holds it for a few seconds before letting it out.

“I’m sorry,” he says quietly. Levi opens his eyes again; his vision is blurry and he blinks rapidly to clear it. “I know I should get over it. It’s been three years. It’s time, right? I just...I don’t know what to do.”

“No one can tell you when it’s time, but you, Levi. Not even me. If you want to be ready, that’s okay. If you want to take longer, that’s okay, too. Loss isn’t the same for everyone, and neither is how they recover from it.

“The key is you’re trying. And that’s all you need to do. There’s no harm in it. Maybe you’ll be friends with Eren, maybe something more. Maybe it won’t work at all. It’s okay if it doesn’t.

“But you won’t know if you’re ready, if something will or won’t work, if you don’t--”

“Try...Right.”

“Just remember to take everything at your own pace. Be patient with yourself. Patience--” they pause as Dander wanders over and sniffs at their outstretched hand “--is always rewarded.”

Hange flexes their fingers a little. Dander twitches, but doesn’t move away, allows Hange to scratch under her chin.

Then she bites Hange and runs.

“Feisty,” Hange laughs.

“That’s her way of saying you’re alright,” Levi says, thinking of his own first encounter with Dander.

“She seems very sweet, in a grumpy sort of way. A match made in heaven.”

“Har har...Are we done?”

“If you want us to be.”

“I do.”

“Therapist Hange: deactivated,” they say in a robotic voice as they sit up. “Do you wanna go for an early dinner?”

Levi should say yes. He hasn’t hung out with them as a proper friend lately - long enough to vaguely ask how they’ve been, but never to ask anything more, like how it’s going with that Moblit guy they’re dating or if they’re even dating anymore.

But he’s tired. And the urge to cry still stings at his eyes.

“I think I want to be alone for now.”

“Okay.” Hange gives him a small smile and holds out their arms.

Levi mirrors the gesture and Hange moves forward, envelopes him in a tight hug. They give him an extra squeeze before they let go and stand, grab their jacket and wave as they leave.

Levi stays seated on the floor a long while before Dander wanders back into the room and nudges at his hands. He pets her absently, thankful that she doesn’t seem to mind how he shakes, or the warm, wet drops that soak into her fur.


End file.
